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Stress fractures in his back, a broken leg and an inability to help his struggling side out on the park made the year just gone one to completely forget.

Yet all were outweighed following the birth of his daughter, Poppy, with Bruce – at the time still in a leg brace and recovering from his injury – discovering a new perspective as he became a father for the first time.

Prior to Poppy’s arrival, Bruce’s sights were always set on making a return to stop the Saints from sinking even further during their miserable 2018 campaign.

“The motivation was really strong to come back and have a great, strong second half to the year, but then I obviously snapped my leg at training,” Bruce told saints.com.au.

“It was very disappointing, I was working my way back towards a mid-year return and got myself back in some really strong form in the VFL and had just got picked in the AFL side.”

Bruce’s injury shattered not only his leg, but his confidence after what was a dominant showing for Sandringham, in which he finished with seven goals and 15 marks from three games.

“That really dampened spirits and I had a few weeks away from the club. I went away from footy and then by the time I got back, we had a little bubba.”

Since August of last year, Bruce and his partner, Pip, have been the proud parents of Poppy, who has since been the pride and joy of their lives.

“It was a really tough year on a football front, but the best year of my life on a home front,” Bruce said.

“I’m loving it, I’m loving life as a dad and it’s going really well. Poppy has been a dream so far and apparently it only gets better from here.”